


The Netherfield Dilemma

by KellyLiz



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-07-04
Packaged: 2017-12-17 13:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/867831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellyLiz/pseuds/KellyLiz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lizzie and Darcy totally misunderstand each other’s feelings while at Netherfield.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Week 1: July 5-11, 2012

**Author's Note:**

> I always wanted to know more about Lizzie and Darcy’s interactions at Netherfield . They were both obviously clueless about what the other was feeling. Hopefully, I didn’t go too far from what the writers of LBD were aiming for. Any misrepresentations and mistakes are all mine.
> 
> Switches between Darcy and Lizzie's POV!

“Hey Darcy, are you coming down for dinner?” Bing popped his head around the corner of Darcy’s room. Darcy looked up and then back to this laptop screen. “I’ll be down in a few minutes,” he answered Bing, continuing to type his report. He heard Bing head towards the rooms where Jane and Lizzie were staying. He had been living under the same roof as Lizzie Bennet for almost a week and he wasn’t altogether certain how he felt about that.

Darcy had felt a mixture of excitement and dread when Bing informed him that Lizzie and Jane would be staying with them a few weeks at Netherfield. The house was large, surely he would not spend that much time with her. He was already more attracted to her than he liked. Lizzie spent a good deal of time in her room (what did she do in there for so long? She was not in school over the summer, and she normally read downstairs in the lounge) and he spent several hours each day telecommuting in his room so he didn’t see her that frequently. But somehow her presence pervaded the house. He would catch glimpses of her in the halls or grabbing lunch in the kitchen, hear her voice and her laugh, and usually they ate dinner together and would all hang out in the lounge in the evening. She unsettled him, somehow. The formerly half-empty house felt crowded at times.

Time passed more quickly now that Lizzie was here, and he pushed aside the suspicion that he looked forward to seeing her each day. He saved his report, closed his laptop and headed downstairs. When he came into the dining room, Lizzie had just finished setting the table. “Lizzie,” he said, somehow feeling a rush seeing her in the flesh after thinking about her the last several minutes (and intermittently throughout the last several hours), “Do you need any help?”

Lizzie looked up quickly. “No, thanks, I’m just about done.” She headed back to the kitchen calling out something to Jane. Bing entered the room with his customary cheerfulness. “Jane volunteered to cook dinner tonight as its Marie’s day off. She refused to tell me what was on the menu, so I just brought up a couple of different wines.” Lizzie entered the room again carrying a large salad, followed by Jane with a steaming pasta platter. Darcy’s eyes followed Lizzie as she carefully set down the salad. Her blouse was light and sleeveless, and he could not help noticing her shoulders. When she looked at him again, he saw how the color of the blouse deepened the blue in her eyes. “Where’s Caroline?” Lizzie asked.

Bing answered. “She just went upstairs to freshen up.” Once Caroline swept in, they sat down to eat. Jane’s pasta dish was delicious, and Bing complimented her until she became embarrassed. Bing was obviously smitten with Jane, but Darcy could not tell how Jane felt about him. She smiled at him often, but she smiled readily at everyone. She rarely frowned and Darcy had never seen her look angry. Lizzie, on the other hand, registered a myriad of emotions often; anger and annoyance were displayed as frequently as amusement and affection (the latter always directed at Jane). Lizzie jumped passionately into discussions about books, movies, pop culture, and just about any topic that came up. Very little escaped her and her quick wit was apparent. Darcy soon found himself in a discussion with her on Greece’s fiscal issues and its problems with the EU. They were interrupted when Bing spoke to Jane, “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” 

Jane looked a little flushed. “I am feeling really tired. And my throat is scratchy. I’m sorry, maybe I should go up to my room and rest.”

Lizzie jumped up. “I’ll come up with you, just as soon as I’ve cleared the table.” Bing insisted on taking care of the dishes, and Jane and Lizzie headed upstairs. Darcy felt disappointed. He doubted Lizzie would come back downstairs tonight. He chastised himself inwardly. He’d admitted to himself weeks ago that he found Lizzie striking. Her intelligence, wit, and lively personality captivated him. However, the differences between them were far too large for Darcy to start a serious relationship with her, and Darcy was not about to date Lizzie casually. It would be cruel to cause their feelings to deepen when it could not go anywhere. He headed into the kitchen to help Bing pile the dishes in the dishwasher, ignoring a pang that he was missing something.

\-----  
Lizzie brought Jane some cold medicine and a glass of water. “Do you need anything else?” she asked as Jane crawled under the covers of her bed.

“No, I’ll be fine. Go back downstairs, Lizzie and enjoy yourself. You don’t need to take care of me.” Jane smiled up at her sister.

“That’s okay. I’ve already reached my quota of Darcy conversation for the day. You’d think just once he would relax a little and talk like a human being. Or smile. Or show some miniscule bit of emotion on his condescending face.” Lizzie rolled her eyes.

“I think you show enough emotion for the both of you,” Jane’s voice sounded a little hoarse.

Lizzie looked contrite. “Sorry, I’ll quit complaining and leave you to get some rest.” She said good-night and left, heading to her own room. Darcy still rubbed her the wrong way, but what else was new? Lizzie needed to quit worrying about him and his stubborn opinions and enjoy her summer break.


	2. Week 2: July 12-18, 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy's conflicting emotions deepen; Lizzie stays par for the course.

Darcy rounded a corner and walked straight into Lizzie, who appeared to be in a frenzied sprint towards her room. Darcy figured he outweighed Lizzie by 60 or 70 pounds, and she bounced off his chest when they collided. He reached out and grabbed her upper arms to steady her. “Are you alright?” he tried to sound unaffected as his heart pounded in his chest. He could feel her smooth, warm skin under his hands and her scent was intoxicating.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Lizzie looked slightly stunned as she looked up at Darcy. She took a step away from him, and he reluctantly dropped his hands from her arms. “Sorry, I was in such a hurry, I didn’t see you.” She quickly stepped around him, and continued towards her room. Darcy took a deep breath and tried to calm down. Touching her like that had disturbed him more than he liked. If he was honest with himself, he would admit that he knew Lizzie’s normal schedule around the house now, and he usually managed to cross paths with her a few times each day. He wasn’t sure why he felt the urge to do so, they normally just nodded at each other and continued on their separate ways. Seeing her somehow made his heart race and he was trying not to think too much about why.

 

\-----  
Lizzie squelched down the memory of Darcy’s hands on her arms. She preferred thinking of him as cold and distant, but his hands on her biceps had been warm and large. She had forgotten how his hands had felt on her during their dance at the Gibson wedding. All she remembered was his brusque responses to her attempts at conversation and his cavalier dismissal of her as someone worthy of his interest.

At least he hadn’t commented on her racing so carelessly down the hall. She had realized that she needed to send Charlotte her most recent video to edit, and had been rushing more quickly than usual. Lizzie frowned. She needed to be more careful. She couldn’t let Darcy find out about her videos and she certainly didn’t want him asking questions about why she was in such a rush while on vacation with no apparent demands on her time.

She had to admit Darcy did not lounge around all day watching miniseries or anything else. He was on some sort of a break (or at least out of the office), but he worked hard. He was on his laptop and taking calls for hours each day. Lizzie decided he probably used work to avoid social interactions and any kind of normal life because obviously, most people could not stand to be around him. 

*****  
Darcy found his eyes kept drifting to Lizzie as she read, curled in a small corner on the couch. He was attempting to read a book from Bing’s library, but was having trouble concentrating. As he watched her, she took a pencil and wrote something in the margin of her paperback and then started playing with her lower lip with the eraser. She put the pencil between her teeth, biting on it gently then went back to pulling on her lip with it. The quick rush of excitement that raced through his veins jolted him. She had the most beautiful lips, and his eyes were drawn to them more and more frequently. At that moment, she seemed to feel the weight of his stare and her eyes snapped up to his. Darcy was embarrassed. The last thing he needed was for Lizzie Bennet to figure out how engrossing he found her.

Bing made one of his overly kind (in Darcy’s view) observations that all the women here seemed to be very together. Darcy felt compelled to respond. He somehow came up with several attributes that he felt women should have to be considered truly together. He wasn’t even entirely sure all that he said with the small amount of blood that seemed to be left in his brain. His main point was that standards for people had declined in recent years. Lizzie was frowning at him, but he was accustomed to that reaction from her. He knew she enjoyed countering his arguments and seemed especially happy when she was able to force him to admit she had made a good point. Right now, he was mostly concerned with appearing calm and focused, not absorbed in thoughts about Lizzie.

Caroline also watched him with narrowed eyes. Darcy had told Caroline when he first noticed Lizzie’s expressive eyes, so it was no surprise that she knew of his attraction to Lizzie. His feelings for Lizzie had deepened in the last few weeks, and he guessed Caroline suspected as much. This entire situation was becoming entirely too uncomfortable. As soon as it was feasible, he ended the conversation and went back to his book, resolutely keeping his eyes from Lizzie the remainder of the evening.

\-----  
Lizzie grimaced later as she recalled Darcy’s list of what women needed to be considered accomplished. Just another attribute to add to her list of what comprised a douchebag. Somehow, she felt a sense of release when talking on camera to Caroline about Darcy. She knew it was petty and unkind to complain so much about someone, but there was something about him that just got under her skin. She couldn’t explain it much less understand it. The tension between them just seemed to be ratcheting up the more time she spent living in the same house as Darcy. She pushed aside the thought that criticizing Darcy online without allowing him to defend himself was particularly unfair. This was her diary, therefore obviously her opinion only, and hopefully Darcy would never see these videos.


	3. Week 3:July 19-25, 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor Darcy. He has no idea his particular hell has just begun.

Darcy hauled out his bike and prepared for a long ride. He was having trouble sleeping, and each night as he tossed and turned his thoughts became more caught up with images of Lizzie. He hoped hard exercise and his increasingly frequent cold showers would help him sleep better. He knew he should not pursue a relationship with her. They came from such different backgrounds. He could too easily imagine what his Aunt Catherine would say about him dating Lizzie. Why did he feel so increasingly drawn to her? He tried to dispassionately work it out while biking, but his thoughts just kept going in circles. Perhaps when she left Netherfield he could figure it out. Distance from Lizzie might help his perspective. He clung to the idea that when Lizzie was away from him, thoughts of her would stop haunting him.

Sometimes Darcy wondered about Lizzie’s feelings towards him. He saw a spark in her eyes when she talked to him that was absent when she looked at Jane, Bing or Caroline. The tension was palpable when they were engaged in conversation, and he was certain she couldn’t miss it. More than once he saw her bite her lower lip and turn away as if to stop herself from saying something that may possibly reveal her feelings. But he was careful not to make any moves that might lead her on, and he supposed she noticed that and understood.

\------  
Lizzie laughed as she spun around with Jane. With Darcy out on a bike ride, Bing occupied with research for an upcoming course and Caroline running errands, she and Jane had felt free to turn the volume up and were dancing to the popular music Darcy seemed to despise. Lizzie felt her tensions melt away with the beat of the music and the physical exertion of dancing crazily around the lounge with Jane. She missed Charlotte, and even Lydia, but despite the strain she felt around Darcy, she was enjoying her time with Jane at Netherfield.

Jane grinned at her. “How’s it going with you and Darcy?”

“Why are you coupling our names together? There is absolutely nothing going on with us besides mutual antipathy.” Lizzie kicked off her shoes so she could slide on the hardwood floor as she danced.

Jane cocked her head at Lizzie. “I’m not so sure that’s true. He does act a bit stiff around you, but I don’t think it’s because he dislikes you.”

“Please,” Lizzie snorted. “I’m quite sure his first assessment of me holds true today. He only seems to like to argue with me, and that’s because no one else here will take him on.”

Jane shook her head at Lizzie. “You’ve always been opinionated. And it’s always been extremely difficult to get you to change your mind. Do you remember when you refused to believe dad when he explained to you that some of the stars we see in the sky are no longer there because their light takes so many years to reach Earth?”

Lizzie smiled. “I was only 8! Let me keep a little bit of my fascination with the beauty of the night sky. If I can see them, in my mind they exist.”

“But you are being nice to Darcy, aren’t you?” Jane asked. “You’re not saying everything you think?”

Lizzie laughed. “You should be proud of me. I’ve managed to stop myself a few times from saying something that might have been taken as offensive by Darcy. I even made my lip bleed once when biting back a retort.”

*****  
Darcy was becoming increasingly annoyed by Caroline’s obsequious attentions to him. She continued to seek Darcy out whenever she got the chance. Darcy had thought by now it would be clear to her that he had no romantic interest in her, and they could stay friends. Caroline’s conversations with Darcy often centered on Lizzie. She seemed to delight in frequently reminding him of the inappropriateness of Lizzie’s family, only making these caustic comments when she and Darcy were alone. Darcy noticed that despite Caroline’s low opinion of the Bennet family, she was friendly and polite to Lizzie and Jane. He didn’t think Caroline had a very high opinion of Lizzie either, but he supposed she was trying to be a good hostess.

Darcy’s patience had worn thin when Bing coerced Darcy into joining everyone in the lounge. Caroline would not stop talking to him despite his obvious attempts to work on his laptop. He was trying not to watch Lizzie, who had caught him staring at her several times in the last few days. It was proving to be very difficult to keep his eyes off her whenever she was in the same room. The weather had been very warm lately, and Lizzie was usually wearing tank tops and low-cut shirts which did not help Darcy’s attempt to concentrate on his work, much less his sleep at night.

\---------  
Lizzie looked up from her book as Caroline asked Darcy to include a comment from her to Gigi in his email. Darcy’s response was curt. What was with him? Couldn’t he stop whatever he was working on for two seconds to talk to a friend? Caroline had spent several minutes attempting to engage Darcy in a conversation. Lizzie mentally shrugged; she shouldn’t be surprised, it was Darcy. Personal relationships obviously did not matter much to him.

 

*****  
Darcy waited in the car with Jane as Bing went inside to get Lizzie and Caroline. He was looking forward to this wine tasting outing so that he could spend some time with Lizzie. Going out together in a group was the one safe way he could spend time with her outside of Netherfield. He had a great time a few nights ago when they all went out to dinner. Just being with Lizzie, watching her animated face as she talked, and listening to her stories was gratifying. She had done an uncanny impersonation of Lydia that almost made him snort the wine he had just sipped through his nose as he struggled not to laugh. Fortunately, Lizzie hadn’t noticed as Jane had dissolved into giggles and had knocked over Lizzie’s water glass. Darcy was not sure he was up to teasing from Lizzie.

Bing and Caroline came out the door. “Slight change of plans,” Bing said. “Lizzie has decided not to come. We can switch to your convertible, Darcy.”

Darcy’s hopes of an enjoyable afternoon dissipated and his high spirits plummeted. Somehow he guessed he would spend the time fending off Caroline’s less than subtle advances and watching Bing flirting like crazy with Jane.

\-------  
Lizzie spent her afternoon hanging out at Charlotte’s house. They discussed the ethics of showing Bing on the videos without his knowledge which still left Lizzie feeling uneasy. 

“Does Darcy really stare at you constantly?” Charlotte suddenly asked. Lizzie had brought her video footage recorded earlier in the day and Charlotte had already watched it in preparation for editing.

“Yeah, it’s creepy. He never says anything, but he must want to catch me doing something stupid.”

Charlotte pursed her lips. “You talk about him an awful lot on your videos. Some might call it -–obsessive.”

“I’m not obsessed with Darcy!” Lizzie frowned. “It’s just nice to vent. You’ve seen Caroline talk with me about Darcy, she helps.”

“I’m pretty sure Caroline does not dislike Darcy,” Charlotte observed. “Didn’t you even say they are often talking in the corner together, as if they were conspiring?”

“Well, yeah.” Lizzie paused. “Maybe Caroline does like Darcy okay, but she understands what bugs me about him. And it’s not like I have lots of other stuff in my life going on that I can talk about, being stuck at Netherfield.”

 

*****  
Darcy had been able to keep his attention on a work-related email despite Lizzie’s presence in the lounge. She was curled up in her favorite spot on the couch, reading. Caroline was wandering about the room but he always found it easy to block Caroline from his thoughts. When he noticed Caroline had persuaded Lizzie to join her, he gave up on his email and turned his attention to Lizzie. She looked striking, wearing a fitted blouse and a skirt that showed off her petite figure. Her hair was loose and her eyes looked bright as she play-acted, gliding as if she were royalty, smiling at her subjects. On their second turn around the room, he had to smother his smile when she impersonated a model on the runway, exaggerating the swaying of her hips and pirouetting in half-turns to look over her shoulder. He loved Lizzie’s playful personality.

He was attempting to be humorous and complimentary when he declined Caroline’s invitation to join them. There was no need for him to walk with them when he could admire Lizzie better from his current position. Lizzie looked as if she wanted to laugh at him, but did not comment. He wasn’t sure what he was hoping she would say.

\--------

It was strange, Lizzie thought, she had never felt this intense antagonism towards anyone; she always felt keyed up and edgy around Darcy lately. Sometimes she had the urge to do something, anything, to wipe that inscrutable look off his face. Lizzie had no idea why it made her feel better to get angry at Darcy. Maybe it gave her relief from the stress of being around him.

Lizzie noticed that Caroline always probed and brought out Lizzie’s most negative feelings about Darcy. Perhaps Caroline really didn’t like Darcy either? Lizzie wasn’t sure why else Caroline would enjoy Lizzie’s vitriolic rants concerning Darcy. The thought crossed her mind that maybe Caroline was into Darcy, but that just seemed paranoid. She did not think Caroline was that duplicitous. Besides, why would it help Caroline’s chances with Darcy if Lizzie expressed her dislike of him? It really didn’t make sense.


	4. Week 4: July 26-August 1, 2012

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie and Jane head home.

Darcy knew Lizzie would go home soon, and he was having a more difficult time keeping his distance. He often had to jam his hands fisted into his pockets to keep them off her. He tried to come up with a way he could touch her that could be friendly but not construed as a come-on. Maybe he could ask her to dance in a casual manner. Caroline had disdainfully mentioned some popular songs Lizzie liked, and he decided to use that as his opening.

Unfortunately, he was terrible at this kind of casual interaction. Lizzie didn’t understand his attempt to invite her to dance and she responded to his vague invitation by stating that he just wanted to mock her taste in music and he should just go ahead and hate her. Hate her! As if that were possible. He felt he regressed to an awkward teenager in her presence, stiff and nervous when trying to talk to her. It was even more difficult as he kept trying to hide the depth of his feelings for her.

\------  
Lizzie felt it was laughable that Jane thought Darcy liked her. The man barely spoke to her, besides their sometimes confrontational debates. He often looked tense and irritable when he was around her with his shoulders rigid and an unfathomable look on his face. Seriously, if he liked her, wouldn’t he try to talk to her, smile at her, act as if he wanted to be with her? Jane took her niceness way too far when it came to Darcy.

Even when they engaged in heated debates, Darcy rarely smiled or showed emotions. He stated his opinions logically and looked at issues critically without allowing emotional aspects to sway his judgment. He did not talk to Lizzie about himself or bring up anything personal, key signs he was not interested in her romantically.

He was well-educated and well-read, Lizzie had to admit to herself. He could hold his own on innumerable topics. She became so accustomed to his wide breath of knowledge that she was surprised and a little aghast when they argued over the most influential modern literature and she discovered Darcy had not read Anna Karenina. “How can you even try and talk about influential literature if you haven’t read Tolstoy’s masterpiece?” she sputtered. Darcy had looked almost apologetic. “I’m not sure how I missed that, to tell the truth.”

****  
Darcy looked up as Lizzie came bursting into the lounge, dragging her suitcase. “Our house is done.” she called happily. “We’re going home!” Darcy had expected to feel relief, but he mostly felt disheartened. Did she have to sound so thrilled? He admitted that it made sense that she was anxious to be in her own home after so long away. He was just realizing how much he would miss her.

Caroline could not hide the relief in her smile. “Lizzie,” she said politely. “We’ve loved having you visit us here.”

Jane came in, followed by Bing carrying her suitcase. Bing looked sad, but Jane’s face was more difficult to read. She smiled with her usual pleasant expression and Darcy wondered again if she cared as much for Bing as he did for her. Darcy had noticed that Jane had seemed underwhelmed when Bing gave her flowers recently. Perhaps the relationship was winding down for her.

Lizzie was profusely thanking Caroline and Bing, her joyful mood evident. She turned to Darcy. “Good-bye, Darcy. I hope the rest of your vacatio-, um, time visiting here goes well.”

Darcy stood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Thank you. Maybe we will see you around soon?” 

“Sure.” Lizzie smiled and then turned away, reaching for her suitcase. Darcy stepped up next to her and picked it up quickly. “Let me help you with that.” At least he could use his manners as an excuse to prolong the moment. “Thanks,” she said, looking a little guarded. He was surprised her suitcase was heavier than he expected for its size. Lizzie noticed his look and answered his unspoken question. “My laptop is old and kind of heavy.” 

They headed out to the driveway and loaded Lizzie’s car. Too soon, Lizzie drove away with only Jane’s arm visible waving out the passenger window. Darcy and Bing walked back into the lounge, both absorbed in their own thoughts. Netherfield felt strangely lonely somehow.

\----

Lizzie was so ready to go home. She was tired of the stress of Darcy’s presence and the feeling of being judged by his stares, of hiding the shooting of her videos, and of being treated as a guest. She had inwardly cringed when Darcy had noticed how heavy her suitcase was. She could not mention her video camera and sound equipment also added extra weight.

Lizzie was anxious to relax in her own home. She smiled at Jane as she turned her car on the street from Bing’s driveway. “No more Darceny!”

“Oh, Lizzie,” Jane laughed and shook her head. ”Darcy is not that bad. Keep an open mind. He may surprise you one day.”

Lizzie grinned. “I’ll open my mind concerning Darcy the day he shows me he is capable of normal human emotions. But I’m not holding my breath.”


	5. One year later: July 2013

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lizzie and Darcy . . . chat.

Lizzie was stretched open across the couch, reading a finance report. Her feet were in William’s lap, and somehow his book could not hold his attention. As he looked at Lizzie, she took a pencil and wrote something in the margin of her paper and then started playing with her lower lip with the eraser. William felt a hitch in his chest along with the familiar jolt of excitement through his veins. Lizzie, attuned to the weight of his stares, looked up and met his eyes. “What’s up?” she asked, struggling to switch her concentration from her rather daunting report to the meaning of her boyfriend’s intense gaze. “That’s a silly question,” William smirked and before her understanding smile could fully form, his lips were on hers, kissing her with a barely restrained ferocity while his hands roamed over her body. Lizzie’s lips were immediately responsive and her hands clutched his back, the forgotten pencil dropped on the floor. His spirits rose with the knowledge that Lizzie was really with him now.

Later, William relaxed and held a sated Lizzie curled against his chest. “Do you know what you did to me last summer at Netherfield?” he asked as his fingers combed through her hair. “I was fighting a futile, losing battle trying not to succumb to you and to keep my hands off of you. You drove me crazy. Every day, I wanted you more and being an idiot, fought against my desire and the knowledge that I was falling in love with you.”

Lizzie smiled. “I had no idea I was tormenting you. I’m sorry you had to go through so much pain.”

William grimaced. “It was my own fault. I could have been trying to get to know you and let you know me instead of pushing you away with my stiff, snobby attitude.”

“I was awful also.” Lizzie admitted. “I wish I had just looked at you openly without all of my misconceptions coloring my view of you. I was harsher on you in my videos than what I really felt. I did sometimes realize you were not the person I made you out to be. But I pushed away any contrary evidence so I wouldn’t have to examine my feelings. I remember an especially tense moment when I ran into you in the hall. There were definitely some sparks there.”

“Sparks? That’s an understatement of what I felt.” William leaned over and softly kissed Lizzie’s forehead. “I wanted you so badly, but just kept reminding myself we were from different worlds. I was arrogant and stupid.”

“Did you really read Tolstoy for me?” Lizzie asked, a hesitant smile on her lips.

“ ‘He could not be mistaken. There were no other eyes like those in the world. There was only one creature in the world who could concentrate for him all the brightness and meaning of life.’ ” William quoted, and smiled at her. “You were right about the virtues of Russian literature. That quote perfectly describes how I feel about you.”

Lizzie stared at William, struggling to swallow the lump in her throat. She hoped she was lucky enough to be stuck with him for life. “Thank you for waiting for me to catch up,” she whispered and then leaned up to kiss him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quote is from Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Levin thinking about Kitty.


End file.
